Latest content: Oceans and natural resources

Blog by Dr Jane Collins and Alison Swaddling, Advisers Ocean Governance, Commonwealth Secretariat

Water plays a key role in development, human development as well environmental and climate resilience.

By Dr Rahanna Juman, Deputy Director: Research, Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago, and co-Champion of the Commonwealth Blue Charter Mangrove Ecosystem and Livelihood Action Group

By Naadira Ogeer, Head of Energy and Natural Resources; Kartikeya Garg, Assistant Research Officer, and Chilenye Nwapi, Legal Adviser for Natural Resources, Commonwealth Secretariat.

Blog by Dr Daniel Wilde, Head of Oceans, and Dr Jane Collins, Ocean Governance Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat

The Commonwealth is playing a vital role in advancing the ratification and implementation of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), adopted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2023, and now coming into focus as countries gather this week in Nice, France, for the UN Ocean Conference.

Commonwealth High Commissioners and other member country representatives recently met at Marlborough House for a briefing on the implementation of the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, adopted in Samoa at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The briefing provided member countries with a vision for the Commonwealth at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, to be held in June.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) today hosted a roundtable on gender and energy security at Marlborough House in London.

The International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MPEC) is convening this week in London to try to negotiate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the global shipping industry. The discussions are expected to have major implications for global trade, climate action and economic resilience, with almost all of the 56 Commonwealth countries likely to be affected.

By Dr Brandon J Bethel, Small Island Sustainability, University of The Bahamas; Ernest Ohandja Nomo, MSc. Teaching Assistant and Research Officer, Association of Professionals in Coastal and Aquatics Management (APCAM), Cameroon; and Dr Nokubonga Mbandzi-Phorego, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

There are estimates that over three billion people depend on the ocean for their lives and livelihood. In the Commonwealth, 49 of the 56 member states have an ocean border and so it is no surprise that at the Commonwealth Secretariat there is a sustained focus on ensuring there is a healthy ocean.

With over 12 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean annually, the cost of inaction is untenable. Commonwealth stakeholders are now better equipped to advocate for a bold and inclusive pathway that reflects the priorities of its members and builds momentum towards sustainable, circular economies.

The Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, which was agreed at last month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, paves the way for accelerated climate action to help save our planet, say Commonwealth Island leaders.

Sea-level rise is causing irrevocable damage to communities, lives and livelihoods, but also provides some opportunities for growth.

The Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, adopted by the 56 Commonwealth member countries, is one of the largest-ever marine protection agreements.

Pension and sovereign funds can take concrete actions to scale up their adaptation financing, explains Daniel Wilde, Economic Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat.

A message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, ahead of COP29.